The Success Report

It's the Little Things at Work That Count

Paul Puckridge — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:00:30 GMT

It’s tough enough to make a good impression on bosses and coworkers with a job well done. But it’s often the little things that go a longer way in impressing your peers.

Here are some of the details that can make the right impressions:

Keep your desk neat.
Cut back on the clutter. It gives the impression that you’re organised and have things under control.
Be a good example. If there’s a particular way you want things done, do it that way. It’s called leading by example.
Be sincere and generous with compliments.
Do your homework before meetings. Know what’s on the agenda and prepare in advance on the information that may be covered.
Return phone calls and e-mails promptly. It makes coworkers and customers feel valued.
Be on time. In other words, be dependable.
Wash the dishes. If your company has a shared kitchen, don’t be “above” doing the dishes, making more coffee, and such.

Do you have a deadline? Here’s how to get started

Paul Puckridge — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:58:00 GMT

If you have a deadline, but you can’t seem to get started on your project, you might need to step back and see what is paralyzing you. Start by assessing why you are unable to act. Ask yourself the following questions:

•   What am I afraid of? Am I afraid of learning new material? Venturing into unfamiliar territory? Trying and failing? Looking foolish in front of my peers?

•   What is the worst that can happen if you fail? Could you lose your job? Could you be demoted? It’s most likely that you are afraid of appearing foolish, or you are merely afraid of the idea of failing. Most people have these same fears, and once you realize that you are not alone in your fears, you may be able to move on unimpeded.

•   How do I want to live my life? While this question may seem all-encompassing, you may find that answering it helps you solidify your values. Do you want fear to rule your life? Do you want to face diffi¬culties head on and get them out of the way?

•   What do you want to accomplish? Is your behavior impeding your career path? If it is, and you can see that clearly, the knowledge may give you the little push you need to move on and take action.

Feeling the need for a little balance?

Paul Puckridge — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:43:00 GMT

Communicate important information in the most personable way possible

Paul Puckridge — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:43:11 GMT

When you need to communicate something important to a worker, what is the best communication vehicle? Sending an e-mail might seem simplest, but if the subject is really important, it’s probably best to communicate in a way that conveys body language cues, or at least tone of voice.

Face-to-face communication is best for big issues, but in this age of far-flung staff members, it is not always possible. A phone call can at least convey tone of voice, which can tell the person you’re communicating with a lot about where you’re coming from.

There is a lot of room for misinterpretation and miscommunication when you decide to communicate important information via e-mail. If you do choose to do this, it’s probably best to send the kind of e-mail you like to receive. Make it friendly—and as much as possible try to eliminate any chances of misinterpretation.

How do you handle it when your workers make mistakes?

Paul Puckridge — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:46:00 GMT

It’s true; you want your staff to make as few mistakes as possible. No one wants a mistake-ridden office. But this is the real world, and guess what? People make mis¬takes, and you’re going to have to deal with the issue.

There are several ways you can approach handling staff mistakes. You can yell at people. You can punish people by taking them off important assignments. You can publicly humiliate workers and try to make the experience so painful they won’t repeat it. You can be passive aggressive, smile and act like it doesn’t bother you, but send e-mails asking them if they’ve “noticed a problem with the report they turned in, please take a look at pages 7 and 10, and let me know.” None of these approaches will make you popular, or make it less likely that the person will repeat the mistake in the future.

Workers do need to know when they make mistakes so that they have the opportunity to learn and grow in the workplace. Anger or snide remarks aren’t conducive to providing a learning environment. So what’s a manager to do?

First, sit down and think about the problem and assess how important the mistake is. Was it made out of carelessness? Or is the worker usually accurate, and this is an anomaly that should be ignored. If it’s an anomaly, it’s probably best not to make a big deal about it. Leave room for being human.

If the mistake was made out of lack of awareness, carefully and kindly let the person know what has happened, and explore whether he or she knows how to prevent it in the future.

If the mistake was made out of carelessness, then sit down and talk to your employee. Find out if something is distracting him or her. Relate what has happened and using the information gleaned from the employee, take appropriate action.

If the worker is feeling overworked, see if you can provide some help.

If the worker is having problems at home, perhaps some time off could be provided.

Approach mistakes with a compassionate attitude, and your workplace will be filled with grateful, loyal employees.

Understanding change

Paul Puckridge — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:34:00 GMT

Do you have a bad habit you desperately want to change? The conventional wisdom is that you need to commit to that change, says composer, filmmaker and organisational consultant Robert Fritz (www.robertfritz.com). However, he says that attempting change as a way of eliminating something negative from your life might not be the best way to achieve your goal.

Instead, Fritz recommends you work toward some end that will motivate you. So, for instance, if you want to stop smoking, saying I want to be a nonsmoker might put you on the road to relapse, because you’re working against something (you don’t want to be a smoker). The better way to keep yourself motivated is to become aware of what you truly desire.

You might want to quit smoking because it’s bad for you, but there’s part of you that will be conflicted because in some ways you probably enjoy smoking even though you know it’s bad for you. This kind of conflict can cause relapses.

What you really want is to be healthy, and to do things that keep you healthy. Knowing what you want is the key, and phrasing it so that you’re working toward something positive is important. This method can be used
to change most kinds of work or personal habits, Fritz says.

Feeling the need for a little balance?

Paul Puckridge — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:32:00 GMT

Life and work pressures can feel overwhelming at times. And when that happens it’s good to take a breather and remind yourself what’s important. Here are a few pearls of wisdom offered by Alan Weiss in his newsletter Balancing Act (www.summitconsulting.com/ newsletter.html):

• Try to remember that what you are shooting for is success—not perfection. That should give some relief—you don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to make excuses for being human.

• When you have time off, avoid checking e-mail or voice mail, unless you are expecting something truly important. Why? You risk the chance of upsetting your peace of mind and your good night’s sleep if you see something that starts your mind working or worrying. Whatever it is, it’s likely that it can wait till you’ve relaxed, recharged and gotten a decent night’s sleep.

• When you feel you’re being bombarded constantly with too much work, take some time to see if there are some areas you can streamline. You might be surprised at labor-saving technology, devices and techniques that are available. But you have to take the time to find and put them into action.

Need to brainstorm? Try this

Paul Puckridge — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:30:00 GMT

When you need to get your team brainstorming new ideas, you might want to suggest this exercise.

Give each person a notebook and pen and ask them to write “What if …” at the top of the page.

Then have them write 10 sentences that being with “What if …” Allow everyone time to come up with ideas, but ask them to try to come up with 10 sentences even if what they write down seems ridiculous.

This helps loosen everyone up and sets the tone in which real creativity can flourish.

Need more brain power—eat some chocolate

Paul Puckridge — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:03:39 GMT

It's Easter time, and here is something to consider for all of the chocolate lovers.

Consumption of a cocoa drink rich in flavanols—a substance found in dark chocolate—gives the brain a boost of blood flow for two to three hours, a University of Nottingham study has found.

The increased blood flow could enhance performance, lead researcher Ian McDonald, professor of metabolic physiology, says. It can also improve general alertness. The study raises the possibility that ingredients of chocolate could be used to treat vascular impairment, such a strokes or dementia, and for maintaining vascular health.

The study also points to possibly using cocoa flavanols to enhance brain function when people suffer fatigue, sleep deprivation and the effects of aging. McDonald emphasised that the level of cocoa-rich flavanol beverage was specifically designed for the study and not available commercially.

Flavanols are also found in red wine, green tea and blueberries.

Are you keeping yourself from making discoveries?

Paul Puckridge — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:36:00 GMT

Are you obsessing on a mistake you made in the office? Lots of people do this, constantly running the scenarios of the disastrous day or redemptive rewrites of it through their minds. But allowing yourself to partici¬pate in this is a waste of energy (not to mention, cruel and unusual punishment for yourself.)

If you catch yourself running these movies in your mind, you might tell yourself to get a grip and stop—but it’s not likely to work. Instead, be gentle and kind, like you would to a sensitive child who’s made a mistake. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by mentally harassing yourself? The answer to the question will probably make you stop.

After all, if you reflect on the wise words of James Joyce, you might find that focusing on the mistake in this way is keeping your from what might be truly advantageous from the experience.

Here are Joyce’s words: “A man’s errors are his por¬tals of discovery.”